Spare tire mount for motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

A spare tire mount for the rear of a motor vehicle has a first outer support frame with a second, inner support frame nested inside and releasably connected to the first frame. Both frames extend laterally across the back of the vehicle and extend upward at an angle. Both frames rotate about a vertical joint at the rear bumper so the frames rotate toward and away from the vehicle. The second frame holds the spare tire and rotates about a horizontal axis. A wire rope winds around a reel on the first frame with the rope connected to the second frame to raise and lower the second frame and tire as they rotate about the first horizontal axis—toward and away from the first frame and ground. The reel is rotated by a worm screw and worm wheel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/169,347, filed Oct. 24, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S.Application Ser. No. 62/578,205, filed Oct. 27, 2017, the contents ofwhich are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

Motor vehicles designed for off-road use include the Jeep® brand motorvehicle which may have a spare tire mounted to the back door of thevehicle. But the spare tire and wheel are heavy that this increases theweight on the door and may make it difficult to open the door. There isthus a need for an improved way to carry a spare tire without so muchweight on the rear door of the vehicle.

Also, if the vehicle owner changes wheels or tires on the vehicle to uselarger wheels and/or tires, it may be difficult or impossible to mount amatching spare tire on the vehicle door because the wheel mounting holeson the wheel may cause the tire to hit the back door before the wheelmeets the mounting plate. There is thus a need for an improved way tomount a spare tire and wheels of various sizes to the back of a vehicle.

Further, the spare tire and wheel are heavy. A user may have difficultyphysically removing the heavy wheel and tire from the door mount, andsetting the wheel and spare tire on the ground. Dropping the wheel andtire from the height of the spare tire mount may cause injury or damagebecause the spare tire will bounce and may hit and damage the vehicle orother property or may hit and injure others. Likewise, mounting a tire(even if flat) on the standard mounting plate requires lifting the wheeland tire to the elevated plate and fitting bolts on the mounting platethrough holes in the wheel—and that may be physicallydifficult—especially for larger wheels and tires. There is thus a needfor an improved way to remove wheels and tires from the elevated sparetire mount on the back of the vehicle, and a further need for animproved way to mount spare wheels and tires on an elevated spare tiremount on the back of a vehicle.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A spare tire mount for the rear of a motor vehicle has a first outersupport frame with a second, inner support frame nested inside andreleasably connected to the first frame. Both frames extend laterallyacross the back of the vehicle and extend upward at an angle. Bothframes rotate about a vertical joint at the rear bumper so the framesrotate toward and away from the vehicle. The second frame holds thespare tire and rotates about a horizontal axis. A wire rope winds arounda reel on the first frame with the rope connected to the second frame toraise and lower the second frame and tire as they rotate about the firsthorizontal axis—toward and away from the first frame and ground. Thereel is rotated by a worm screw and worm wheel. The vertical joint isoffset from the vertical hinge axis of the vehicle's rear door, so thespare tire mounting mechanism can rotate separate from the vehicle'srear door. Or the spare tire mounting mechanism can be linked to thedoor by an adjustable length swivel linkage so the rear door and tiremounting mechanism rotate together, but about different vertical axes,with the swivel linkage accommodating the different movement caused bythe different rotational axes.

A first summarized spare tire mounting mechanism for the rear of a motorvehicle is provided where the vehicle has a rear door hinged at a firstside of the vehicle to rotate about a first vertical axis. The sparetire mounting mechanism includes a first support frame having proximaland distal ends with a base at the proximal end. The base has opposingfirst and second ends with a first rotating joint at the first endrotating about a second vertical axis. The base has a second rotatingjoint at the second end rotating about a first horizontal axis. Thesecond vertical axis is offset from the first vertical axis during use.The distal end of the first support frame extends upward from the secondend of the base, preferably at an angle. The first and second ends ofthe base are offset from each other in the horizontal plane. The sparetire mounting mechanism also includes a second support frame havingproximal and distal ends with its proximal end rotatably connected tothe second rotating joint and rotating about the first horizontal axis.The distal end of the second support frame has a tire mount with aplurality of bolts located to engage the mounting holes of a vehiclewheel with the bolts centered around and parallel to a second horizontalaxis parallel to and offset from the first horizontal axis. The secondsupport frame is below the first support frame for a major portion of alength of the second support frame. The second support frame rotatesabout the first horizontal axis towards and away from the first supportframe in a vertical plane orthogonal to the first horizontal axis, andduring use rotates toward and away from the ground when the first andsecond frames are not latched together.

In further variations, the spare tire mounting mechanism has a firstsupport frame with a rotatable reel and an elongated, flexible member. Afirst end of the flexible member is wound around the reel and a secondend is connected to the second support frame so that winding theelongated flexible member around the reel draws the distal end of thesecond support frame toward the distal end of the first support frame.Unwinding the elongated flexible member from around the reel allows thedistal end of the second support frame to move away from the distal endof the first support frame and toward the ground during use.

In further variations, the first and second vertical axes are offsetfrom each other by a distance of about 1-5 inches in the horizontalplane. That offset allows a space between the back of the vehicle andthe frames, both for access and to ensure the frames do not hit thevehicle during use. The offset on the first support frame may extendrearward a first distance of several inches during use. Moreover, asubstantial portion of the distal end of the first support frame and asubstantial portion of the second support frame may be in a commonvertical plane as the support frames rotate about the second verticalaxis, with a releasable latch mechanism holding the first and secondsupport frames together during said rotation.

The reel is preferably rotated by a worm screw and mating worm wheel.One of the worm wheel and worm screw is preferably on a shaft having anengaging end having multiple flats. The engaging end may be rotatedmanually by a wrench, or it may be rotated by a power tool such as aportable drill.

The spare tire mounting mechanism may also include an adjustable lengthconnecting link having a first end rotatably connected to the secondsupport frame and a second end having an opening configured to engage ashaft connected to the motor vehicle during use. The spare tire mountingmechanism advantageously includes a brace extending from the secondsupport frame where the brace has a recess configured to receive amating stop on the motor vehicle during use. The recess is preferablyformed of a UHMW material.

The spare tire mounting mechanism may also include an upwardlyextending, adjustable length tube having a proximal end connected to thefirst support frame and a distal end extending above the first supportframe, with a mounting surface on the distal end having at least onehole to mount a rear brake light of the motor vehicle during use. Thisprovides a telescoping mount for a brake light, camera or otherelectronic device, or even a non-electric device such as a reflector.

The spare tire mounting mechanism advantageously includes an extendableor telescoping tube for the tire mount. The extendable tube may have afirst tube with a proximal end mounted to the second support frame andan open distal end into which is inserted a plurality of sliding insertson opposing sides of a second, extendable tube coaxial with the firsttube. The extendable tube has a distal end connected to the plurality ofbolts for the spare wheel and tire. The first and second tubes may havea plurality of aligned holes along a length of the first and secondtubes and extending through opposing sides of the first and second tubesand through any intervening plastic inserts, so that a shaft may extendthrough the aligned holes in opposing sides of the first and secondtubes to restrain relative movement of the first and second tubes of thetire mount. A fastening member may extend through the aligned holes inopposing sides of the first and second tubes. The distal end of theextendable tube may have a vertical plate from which the at least threebolts extend.

The first tube preferably has a plate at its proximal end with holetherein through which extends the shaft of a threaded fastener. Theproximal end of the extendable tube has a threaded hole engaging thethreaded fastener to adjust the relative positions of the first tube andextendable tube along a length of the threaded fastener.

The spare tire mounting mechanism may include a vehicle mounting brackethaving at least one vertical plate with a plurality of bolt holestherethrough and a top mounting plate with at least one vertical bolthole therethrough. Advantageously, a rear bumper is connected to thevehicle mounting bracket and further connected to the top mountingplate. The vehicle mounting bracket is connected to the first rotatingjoint. The first rotating joint advantageously comprises a steel pin inat least one bushing and at least one thrust bearing. The steel pin mayextend downward into a socket in the vehicle mounting bracket. The steelpin may extend upward from the vehicle mounting bracket and into asocket in the first end of the base.

A second summarized spare tire mount for the rear of a motor vehicle isalso used with a vehicle having a rear door hinged at a first side ofthe vehicle to rotate about a first vertical axis. The mountingmechanism includes a first outer support frame and a second, innersupport frame nested inside and releasably connected to the first frameby a releasable latch mechanism. The first frame is connected to a firstvertical joint that rotates about a vertical axis during use. The firstand second frames each have a portion extending upward at an angleduring use. The second frame is also connected to a horizontal joint ona base of the first frame so the second frame rotates about a firsthorizontal axis relative to the first frame. A reel is mounted to thefirst frame and rotated by a worm and worm wheel to wind and unwind awire rope wound around the reel. The distal end of the wire rope isfastened to the second frame so winding and unwinding the rope aroundthe reel moves the second frame. A tire mount is connected to the secondframe and has bolts configured to fit through mounting holes of avehicle wheel having a tire mounted thereon. In use, when the releasablelatch is latched the first and second frames may rotate together aboutthe first vertical axis. In use, when the releasable latch is unlatchedthe reel may rotate to unwind and the wire rope and the second frame andtire mount may rotate about the first horizontal axis away from thefirst frame and toward the ground. In use, when the releasable latch isunlatched the reel may wind up the wire rope and the second frame andtire mount may rotate about the first horizontal axis toward the firstframe and away from the ground.

In further variations, an adjustable length swivel link is provided andhas a first end rotatably connected to one of the first and secondframes (preferably to the second frame) and a second end configured toreceive a shaft to connect the link to the motor vehicle during use. Theabove variations to the first described vehicle mounting mechanism alsoapply to this second spare tire mounting mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages and features of the invention will be betterappreciated in view of the following drawings and descriptions in whichlike numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rear bumper and spare tiremount in a first, storage position on a motor vehicle with the sparetire in a storage position adjacent the back of the motor vehicle;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the rear bumper and spare tiremount of FIG. 1 in a second, extended position away from the vehiclewith the tire also in a second extended position away from the vehicle;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the rear bumper and spare tiremount of FIG. 2 with the tire mount in a third, deployed position andwith the tire in a third position that is extended toward the ground;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the rear bumper and spare tiremount of FIG. 1 with a rear door of the vehicle in broken lines and partof the bumper removed to show the rotating connection to the bumper andvehicle frame;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rear bumper and spare tire mount ofFIG. 1 from the vehicle side looking rearward;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of first and second supportframes of the spare tire mount of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the second support frame ofthe spare tire mount of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the first support frame of thespare tire mount of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the following parts numbers generally refer to thefollowing parts: 10—spare tire mounting system; 12—spare tire; 14—motorvehicle; 16—first support frame; 18—second support frame; 20—rear door;22—connecting link; 24—rotatable joint; 26—releasable connector;28—first vertical axis; 30—hinge; 32—second vertical axis; 34—latch;36—first horizontal axis; 38—elongated flexible member; 40—reel;50—vehicle mounting bracket; 52—rotating joint; 54—socket; 56—pin;58—top mounting plate; 60—rear bumper; 62—horizontal rotating joint;64—hook; 70—base; 74—intermediate portion; 76—distal end; 80a,b—pulleys; 82—gear; 84—worm screw; 86—opening in middle portion 74;88—engaging end; 90—rotatable connection; 92—releasable fastener;94—male projection for latch; 96—handle; 100—tubular base;102—extendable support; 104—releasable fastening mechanism; 106—mountingbracket; 114—middle portion of second support frame; 116—distal end ofsecond support frame; 117—strip of compressible material; 118—tiremount; 120—bolts; 122—axis of tire mount; 124—tire support; 126—outertire support tube; 128—inner tire support tube; 130—plastic inserts;132—holes; 134—locking fastener; 138—threaded fastener; 140—plate oninner tire support tub; 142—threaded hole; 144—plate on outer tiresupport tube; 146—hole in plate 144; 150—brace; 152—stop; 154—bracket;156—panel; and 158—recess in brace.

Referring to FIGS. 1-8, as used herein, the relative directions frontand rear, forward and backward, are with respect to the direction adriver of a motor vehicle faces during use when driving down a road. Asthe invention relates to a spare tire mounted off of the rear of avehicle and above and beyond the rear bumper, the forward direction isalso toward the rear of the vehicle when viewed from a location behindthe vehicle. The vertical and horizontal directions are relative to thevehicle resting on a flat, horizontal surface. As used herein, therelative directions above and below, top and bottom, upper and lower arewith respect to the direction of gravity and level, horizontal ground onwhich the motor vehicle rests, with down being in a direction toward theground, and up being in a direction away from the ground and toward thesky. The lateral direction refers to the directions toward or away fromthe plane through the midline of the motor vehicle and between the frontand rear wheels of the vehicle. As also used herein, the reference to“substantially” refers to a variation of 15% (plus or minus) and“majority” refers to over 50%.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a spare tire mounting system 10 for mounting aspare tire 12 (in phantom lines) on a motor vehicle 14 (in phantomlines) is shown. The spare tire mounting system 10 allows the spare tire12 to move from a first, stowed position adjacent the back of the motorvehicle 14 (FIG. 1), to a second, extended or deployed position awayfrom the vehicle and preferably rotated at an angle of about 20° toabout 230° from the stowed position (FIG. 2), and to further move to athird, dismounting position where the tire is on or within a few inchesof the ground (FIG. 3).

The spare tire mounting system 10 includes a first support frame 16 anda second support frame 18 that are releasably held together with bothsupport frames rotatably mounted to the motor vehicle 14, and with thesecond support frame 18 movable relative to the first support frame. Oneof the first and second support frames 16, 18 is releasably connected tothe motor vehicle 14, preferably connected to a rotating rear door 20(in phantom lines) of that motor vehicle by a connecting link 22preferably taking the form of an adjustable length swivel bolt having arotatable joint 24 on each opposing end of the connecting link 22. Ahemispherical joint or hemi joint is believed suitable for the rotatablejoint 24.

The basic use of the spare tire mount is briefly described, beginningwith the tire 12 in the first, stowed position of FIG. 1. A releasableconnector 26 holds one end of the connecting link 22 to the vehicle 14and preferably connecting to the rear door 20 which rotates horizontallyabout first vertical axis 28 (FIG. 4) on hinges 30 (FIG. 4). Theopposing end of connecting link is connected to one of the first orsecond support frames 16, 18 and preferably connected to the secondsupport frame 18. Preferably the connecting link is in a substantiallyhorizontal plane and more preferably is substantially aligned with alongitudinal axis through the vehicle, between the vehicle's front andrear wheels. When the connecting link 22 is released by removingreleasable connector 26, the first and second support frames 16, 18 maybe manually rotated about second vertical axis 32 to move away from thevehicle 14 and into the second, deployed or extended position as shownin FIGS. 2-3. A latch 34 releasably connecting the first and secondframes is released, allowing the second support frame to rotate aboutfirst horizontal axis 36 on the first support frame until the tire 12,which is releasably mounted on the second support frame, rests on theground as in the third position of FIG. 3.

To further avoid having the tire fall freely to the ground while it ismounted on the second support frame 18, an elongated flexible member 38such as a wire rope may be connected to and wound around reel 40connected to the first support frame 16, with the distal end of theflexible member 38 connected to the second support frame 18. Therotation of the reel 40 moves the second support frame 18 and the tire12 connected to that second support frame, toward and away from thefirst support frame and toward and away from the ground. The rotation ofreel 40 is controlled by gearing that preferably prevents the weight ofthe tire 12 and second support frame from rotating the reel. Once thetire 12 rests on the ground or is near the ground it may be removed fromits mount on the second support frame. Alternatively, the tire 12 may beconnected to the second support frame 18 and moved into the storageposition by rotating reel 40 and the second support frame, engaginglatch 34 to connect the frames together, rotating the connected firstand second support frames toward the vehicle and reconnecting theconnecting link 22 to the vehicle 14.

When the connecting link 22 is engaged the vehicle rear door 20 islinked to and moves with the first and second support frames 16, 18—whenthe latch 34 is engaged so the frames move together. The frames 16, 18are linked to the door 20 by the adjustable length swivel linkage 22 sothe rear door and frames rotate together, but rotate about differentvertical axes 28, 32. The swivel joints 24 at each end of the connectinglink 22 accommodate the rotation about the two axes. By adjusting thelength of the link 22, the distance between the frames 16, 18 andvehicle door 20 may be varied, and the tightness with which the flexibletire 12 is urged against the frames 16, 18 may be varied. The swiveljoint 24 on the ends of link 22 provide multi-axis rotation, and eachjoint preferably rotates about three orthogonal axes. The swivel jointsare referred to as a hemispherical joint.

In more detail, and referring to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, a vehicle mountingbracket 50 connects the first support frame 16 to a frame of the motorvehicle 14. The frames of motor vehicles 14 are typically rectangular incross-section, with either a closed rectangular cross-section or anopen, C-shaped cross section being commonly used. The vehicle mountingbracket 50 has at least one generally vertical plate with a plurality ofholes through which bolts may pass horizontally to bolt the plate andbracket 50 to a vertical wall on the rear of the frame of vehicle 14.The vehicle mounting bracket may have a bottom plate or a secondvertical plate either of which may also have one or more holes to allowthose plates to be bolted to the frame of vehicle 14, as best seen inFIG. 5.

The vehicle mounting bracket 50 has a rotating joint 52 which allowsrotation about second vertical axis 32. The rotating joint 52 is shownas a socket 54 (FIG. 5) receiving a pin 56 (FIG. 56) depending from theproximal end of the first support frame 16. Preferably, the socket 54has brass bushings for rotation, and thrust bearings for vertical loads.More preferably, the socket 54 and joint 52 use two, three-inch longbrass bushings with three thrust bearings, one of which is between thetwo bushings. The rotating joint 52 is sized to support the weight ofthe support frames 16, 18 and the wheel and tire mounted thereon. Atwo-inch diameter, steel pin 56 is believed suitable.

While the rotating joint 52 is shown as having the socket on the vehiclemounting bracket 50 and the pin 56 on the first support frame 16, theparts could be reversed, with the pin extending upward from the vehiclemounting bracket 50 and the socket in the distal end of the firstsupport frame 16. The rotating joint 50 rotates about vertical axis 32,which is parallel to but offset laterally a few inches from the verticalhinge axis 28 about which the rear door 20 rotates as it opens andcloses.

The vehicle mounting bracket 50 preferably has a top mounting plate 58(FIG. 4) which not only encircles and connects to the joint 52 andsocket 54, but has at least one and preferably two or threesubstantially horizontal portions having holes therethrough. Threadedfasteners may pass through these holes to bolt the top mounting plate 58to the top of the vehicle's rear bumper 60. The top mounting plate 58preferably abuts the inside of the bumper and is not seen from outsidethe vehicle. While the top mounting plate 58 is shown as a single,continuous plate, it may comprise a bracket with two or three separate,generally horizontal plates connected to the vehicle mounting bracket,and the term top mounting plate 58 as used herein encompasses such aconstruction using several separate mounting plates on a common supportframe.

The top mounting plate provides a connection to the frame of the motorvehicle 14 in a plane that is orthogonal to the vertical axis 32 aboutwhich the joint 52 rotates. The connection of the top mounting plate 58with the rear bumper 60 is also at a location spaced apart from theconnection of the rotating joint 52 and the frame of vehicle 14 and thathelps stabilize the joint 52. The top mounting plate 58 preferablyconnects to the top of the rear bumper 60 which faces upward andencircles the socket 54, but could connect to the rearward facingportion of the joint 52 and bumper 60 or connect to the laterally facingportions of the bumper and joint 52. As seen in FIG. 5, other supportbrackets may connect the vehicle mounting bracket 50 to the rear bumper50. Advantageously, but optionally, a hook 64 may be connected to therear end of the vehicle mounting bracket 50, with the hook extendingthrough an opening in the bumper 60.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6 and 8, the first support frame 16 has opposingproximal and distal ends that are generally horizontal with an inclinedintermediate or middle portion. The first, proximal end comprises base70, which is connected to inclined middle portion 74 which is in turnconnected to horizontal distal end 76. The base 70 has its proximal endconnected to the joint rotating joint 52 which rotates about secondvertical axis 32. The proximal end comprises a base 70 which hasopposing first and second ends with the first, rotating joint 52 at afirst end and rotating about the second vertical axis 32. The base 70has an opposing, second end with a second rotating joint 62. The secondrotating joint 62 rotates about the first horizontal axis 36 andconnects to the second support frame 18 as discussed later.

The first and second ends of the base are offset from each other in thehorizontal plane to form a bend extending away from the vehicle when inthe first, storage position. When the first and second support frames16, 18 are connected to the rear end of the motor vehicle as in FIG. 1,the frames 16, 18 are adjacent to the rear end of the motor vehicle 14,and the frames 16, 18 are generally in a vertical plane that is offsetfrom the rear end of the motor vehicle by the bend in the base 70.Except for the rearward offset in the base 70, remainder of the firstsupport frame 16 and all or substantially all of the second supportframe 18, are in the same vertical plane. The frames 16, 18 could beslightly curved to conform to a curved rear end of a motor vehicle andif so curved would be within the meaning of vertical plane as usedherein.

The joint 52 and its vertical axis of rotation 32 are intermediate orbetween the vertical plane through the first and second support frames16 and the vertical plane through the rear of the motor vehicle 14 andaxis 28 about which door 20 rotates. The offset is only a few inches,preferably about 1-5 inches. The vertical axis 32 is preferably about1-4 inches from the adjacent rear door 20 of the motor vehicle 14 at thetop of the rear bumper 60, measured in the horizontal plane, in therearward direction.

The base 70 is preferably formed by an elongated, closed box sectionhaving a rectangular cross-section. The base 70 is made of metal,preferably steel, as are the other parts of the spare tire mountingsystem 10, including the first and second support frames 16, 18. Thebase 70 has opposing top and bottom sides that are generally horizontal.

A middle portion or intermediate portion 74 extends from the second endor distal end of the base 70 and extends upward at an angle of about45°-55° from the horizontal (45°-15° from vertical) and preferably at anangle of about 60° from the horizontal (30° from vertical). The distalor upper end of the middle portion 74 is connected to the distal end 76of the first support frame 16. The distal end 76 preferably extendshorizontally from the distal end of the middle portion 74.Advantageously, the middle portion 74 and optionally the distal end 76are closed, box sections preferably having a rectangular cross-sectionlike that of the base 70. For ease of illustration, the figures haveremoved the inner side of the box-section to show a gear-driven reelinside the middle portion 74.

The reel 40 is mounted to the middle portion 74, preferably so theflexible, elongated member 38 wound around the reel leaves the reel in adirection along a length of the middle portion 74. One or more pulleys80 are used to change the direction of the flexible, elongated member38. The reel 40 comprises a cylindrical core with a disk at opposingends to keep the flexible, elongated member 38 from sliding off the endsof the cylindrical core. Advantageously, one of the disks 82 comprises acircular gear and more preferably comprises a worm wheel engaging a wormscrew 84 (FIG. 8). The worm screw 84 is connected to an engaging end 88that preferably has a plurality of flats forming a wrenching surfacesuitable for engaging a manual rotating tool such as a spanner wrench,or engaging a power-driven tool such as a socket for a drill. The gear82 and worm 84 are selected so that the expected weight or tension onflexible, elongated member 38 will not rotate the worm 84. The expectedweight held by the elongated, flexible member 38 is about 100-200pounds.

In the depicted embodiment, two pulleys 80 are used as shown in thefigures, with the first pulley 80 a located adjacent the center of thereel 40 to receive the flexible member 38 and bring it into the plane ofthe second pulley 80 b located at the top of the first support frame 16,at the outer corner where the intermediate portion 74 joins the topportion 76. That location places the pulley 80 b above the center of thetire 12 and its associated wheel.

The distal end of the elongated, flexible member 38 connects to an upperportion of the second support frame 18, preferably at rotatableconnection 90. The connection 90 is shown as a U-shaped bracket havingtwo parallel flanges on the outer distal edge of the second supportframe 18 with a bolt passing through both flanges and through a loop inthe end of the elongated, flexible member 38. The loop rotates aroundthe bolt to provide a rotatable connection.

The connection 90 need not be a rotatable connection but a rotatableconnection is preferred. As seen in the Figures, the intermediateportion 74 has an opening or slot 86 (FIG. 6) in the lower side wallthat allows the elongated, flexible member 38 to move along a length ofthe intermediate portion as the second support frame 18 rotates aboutjoint 62 and axis 36 to raise and lower the second frame and tire 12relative to the first support frame 16.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the distal end 76 of the first supportframe 16 is also preferably a closed-box section with a rectangularcross-section, but may be open or have portions open for ease of access.The distal end 76 has one part of latch 34 fastened to the distal end.An inverted, U-shaped bracket is welded to the lower flange of theclosed channel forming the distal end 76. The ends of the legs arepreferable welded to the lower flange on opposing sides of an opening(preferably a slot) through the lower flange of the distal end 76.Aligned holes in each opposing leg allow the shaft of a releasablefastener 92 to extend through the opposing legs. A male latch projection94 (FIG. 3) on the second support frame 18 extends through the openingin the distal end 76 and between the opposing legs. The projection 94has a hole that aligns with the holes through the legs of the bracket ofthe latch 34 so the releasable fastener 92 may pass through the holes inthe bracket and male projection 94 to releasably connect the projection94 and second support frame 18 to the first support frame 16. Removingthe releasable fastener 92 disconnects the parts and releases the latch34. A spring-loaded detent on one of the releasable fastener 94 or latch94 retains the releasable fastener 94 in the connected position with thelatch 34. An enlarged handle 96 on one end of the releasable fastener 94makes it easier to manually grab the handle and engage or disengage thereleasable fastener while the detent prevents the fastener fromaccidentally disengaging during operation of the motor vehicle 14.

The use of a shaft or pin on the releasable fastener 92 passing throughaligned holes in male and female latch parts 34, 94 is preferred becauseof the positive latching and large load carrying capability of thedesign. But instead of connecting the parts together with a releasablepinned connection, or a releasable bolted connection, other types ofreleasable latch mechanism may be used to releasably connect the firstand second support frames 16, 18, including hook and catch latches andspring actuated latches. Positive latch mechanisms that resist openingunder vibration and movement of the mating latch parts are preferred.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6 and especially FIG. 8, an adjustable length tubeis connected to the first support frame 16. A tubular base 100,preferably having a non-circular cross-section with a plurality of flatsides, is connected to the distal end 76 of the first support frame 16.At least one extendable support 102 with a similar cross-sectional shapeas the base fits inside the tubular base 100 in a telescoping manner. Areleasable fastening mechanism 104 releasably fixes the position of theextendable support 102 relative to the base 100 so that the length ofthe base and extendable support 102 may be adjusted and then releasablyfastened in place. The depicted adjustment mechanism uses a threadedstud or bolt welded to the inner extendable support 102 and extendingthrough an elongated slot in the outer, tubular base 100, with athreaded nut or wingnut engaging the stud or bolt to releasably clampthe inner extendable support 102 to the outer base. Other releasablefastening mechanisms can be used, including a ball and detent mechanism,a plurality of separate, aligned holes in the nested tubes 100, 102 witha fastener extending through the aligned holes, an over-center clamp orother releasable connections.

The extendable support 102 moving into and out of base 100 provides anadjustable length tube that has a proximal end releasably connected tothe base 100 and the distal end 76 of the first support frame 16, andhas a distal end extending above the first support frame. A lightmounting bracket 106 is provided on the upper, distal end of theextendible support 102 and has one or more holes and/or slots extendingthrough the bracket so a rear brake light (or other lights and items)can be fastened to the light mounting bracket 106. The adjustable lengthsupport 102 allows the brake light or other items to be positioned abovethe tire 12 so other vehicles behind the motor vehicle 14 can see thebrake light. Multiple nested tubes can be used as desired, but it isbelieved desirable to limit the maximum height of mounting bracket 106to about the maximum height of the roof of the motor vehicle 14. Thus,the nested tubes 100, 102 (or others) are typically a few feet in lengthwhen extended.

Referring further to FIGS. 1-6 and 8, the second support frame 18 has aproximal end that is connected to the horizontally rotating joint 62 sothe second support frame rotates vertically about joint 62 andhorizontal axis 36 toward and away from the first support arm 16.Advantageously, the distal end of the base portion 70 forms a clevisjoint receiving a pin passing through and encircled by the proximal endof the second support frame 18. The second support frame 18 has a middleportion 114 with an upper surface that preferably extends upward alongthe lower side or bottom side of the middle portion 74 of the firstsupport frame. Thus, the middle portion or intermediate portion 114extends from the horizontal joint 62 upward at an angle of about 45°-75°from the horizontal (45°-15° from vertical) and preferably at an angleof about 60° from the horizontal (30° from vertical) to track the angleat which the middle portion 74 is inclined. A distal end 116 extendshorizontally from the upper end of the second support arm. Depending onthe length of the middle portion 114, the distal end 116 may appear toextend laterally or horizontally from the majority of the length of themiddle portion 114.

The adjacent sides of the middle portions 74, 114 of the first andsecond support frames face each other and preferably each have astraight, inclined surface separated by a short distance of a fractionof an inch, from the adjacent surface of the other middle portion.Likewise, the distal ends 76, 116 of the first and second support framespreferably each have a flat surface, preferably horizontal surfaces thatface each other and are separated by a short distance of a fraction ofan inch. Advantageously, a strip of compressible material 117 (FIG. 6),such as solid or tubular rubber or suitable elastomer, is fastened toone of the adjacent sides of the distal ends 76, 116 and may be fastenedto one of the adjacent sides of the middle portions 74, 114. Thus, forexample, a rubber strip may be fastened to the lower, downward facingside of the distal end 76, or a rubber strip may be fastened to theupper, upward facing side of the distal end 116, or a different rubberstrip may be fastened to both.

A compressible rubber strip of material 117 (FIG. 6) between the facingsides of the inclined middle portions 74, 114 and/or the distal ends 76,116 is believed desirable because it allows the second support frame 18to be drawn tightly against the facing side(s) of the first supportframe by the elongated flexible member 38. A resilient layer of material117 between the facing parts prevents a hard stop that may overstressthe flexible member 38, and helps avoid abrading damage to the abuttingparts caused by relative movement between the first and second supportframes 16, 18 as the rotate slightly about second axis 32.

A tire mount 118 is connected to the distal end 116 of the secondsupport frame 18. The tire mount 118 preferably includes a verticalplate from which a plurality of bolts 120 extend, with the bolts locatedto engage the mounting holes of a vehicle wheel. The plate may beinclined slightly from the vertical. The bolts 120 are centered aroundand parallel to a second horizontal axis 122 that is preferably, butoptionally, parallel to and offset from the first horizontal axis 36.Since the axes 36 and 122 are on the same part, the second support frame18, the axes may remain parallel while the frame 18 rotates about thesecond vertical axis 32. The second support frame 18 is below the firstsupport frame 18 and rotatable about the first horizontal 36 axistowards and away from the first support frame in a vertical planeorthogonal to the first horizontal axis 36.

The tire mount 118 is shown as a circular plate and is preferably sizedto fit within the curved center of the wheel holding the tire 12. Thetire mount 118 has a thickness sufficient to support the bolts 120 thathold the weight of the wheel and tire 12 mounted on the wheel.Typically, three to five bolts 120 are provided with lug nuts engagingthe bolts 120 to releasably fasten the spare wheel and tire to the tiremount 118.

The tire mount 118 is preferably offset rearward from the plane of thesecond support frame 16 by a tire support 124 shown as a rectangulartube. The width of the tires 12 varies but may be 6-12. While the tiresupport 124 may be of fixed length, it is preferably of variable lengthto accommodate different widths of tires and wheels and allow them to bepositioned close to the vertical plane through the second support frame18.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7 and especially FIG. 7, the tire support 124preferably has an outer tire support tube 126 fastened to the distal end116 of the second support frame 18. The outer tire support tube 126 ispreferably non-circular in shape and has a plurality of flat sides. Asquare cross-section is preferred. The tire mount 118 is fastened to thedistal end of inner tire support tube 128 having a cross-sectional shapecomplimentary to that of the outer tire support tube 126 so the innertube can nest inside of and slide relative to outer tube 126. Aplurality of inserts 130 are interposed between the inner and outer tiresupport tubes 126, 128 to facilitate sliding of the inner tire supporttube relative to the outer tire support tube. The sliding inserts 130are preferably flat plates of ultra-high, molecular weight polymermaterial, but could comprise roller bearings or other bearings orslidable surfaces that can carry the cantilevered weight of the wheeland tire. Advantageously the inner and outer tire support tubes 126, 128and the sliding inserts 130 are sized so the inner tire support tube 128slides into and out of the outer support tube 126 in a snug fit, withouta lot of movement in the plane orthogonal to the tire mount axis 122. Asnug fit is desired and that includes a fit that requires manual forceto move the tire mount 118 and inner tire support tube 128 relative tothe outer tire support tube 132.

A series of holes 132 a is formed the inner tire support tube 128 onopposing sides of the tube 128. A corresponding series of holes 132 b isformed in the inserts 130 located on at least the corresponding sidesthat have the holes 132 a so the holes can align. Uniformly spaced holes132 are preferred. A pair of holes 132 c are placed on opposing sides ofthe outer tire support 126 and located so they may be aligned withselected holes in the series of holes 132 a and 132 b. A removablelocking fastener 134, such as a threaded bolt or the shaft of a pin orthreaded fastener passes through aligned holes 132 a, 132 b, 132 c tohold the parts in position once the desired position of tire mountingplate 118 is determined relative to the outer mounting tube 126 andsecond support frame 118. The holes in tire mounting tube 132 c areshown as vertically aligned so that gravity will urged the head oflocking fastener 134 against the outer tire mounting tube 126 andprevent the fastener from readily disengaging. The locking fastener 134prevents relative movement of the tire mounting tubes 126, 128 andmovement of tire mount 118 along axis 122, so preferably the opposingends of the locking fastener 134 are prevented from unintentionallymoving through the aligned holes 132 a, 132 b, 132 c to disengage theparts. Various fasteners 134 may be used to restrain relative movementof the tubes 126, 128.

Referring to FIG. 7, the nested tubes 126, 128 form a telescoping,adjustable length tire mounting tube for the tire mount 118. The lengthmay be more precisely controlled and held with a threaded fastener 138connecting the inner tire support tube 128 to the second mounting frame118. The proximal end of inner tire support tube 128 is preferably atleast partially closed by a plate 140 having a threaded hole 142 whichhole is on the axis 122 of the tire mount. The proximal end of the outertire support tube 126 may also be at least partially closed by a plate144 having a hole 146 located on the axis 122 of the tire mount. Thethreaded fastener 138 passes through the hole 146 and along axis 122until the head of the threaded fastener 138 stops it. The threadedfastener 138 engages the threaded hole 142 on the inner tire supporttube 128 and tightening of the fastener will draw the inner tire supporttube 128 and tire mount 118 toward the second support frame 116.Loosening the threaded fastener 138 will allow the user to manually pullthe tire mount 118 away from the second support frame. Thus, theposition of the tire mount 118 and tire 12 may be adjusted. In use, theuser loosens the fastener 138 until the tire is mounted on the tiremount 118 using lug nuts (not shown). The threaded fastener 138 is thentightened until the tire 12 abuts the first or second support frames 16,18. As the tire is inflated with air and is compressible, the tire actsas a spring when it is drawn against the support frames 16, 18 andallows a resilient but tight connection between the tire and the supportframes 16, 18 so as to avoid rattling noises.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, in the first, stowed position the first andsecond support frames 16, 18 and tire 12 are held to the rear of themotor vehicle by the connecting link 22 with a brace 150 on one of thefirst or second support frames 16, 18 urged against a stop 152 on themotor vehicle to further stabilize the tire mounting system 10 on themotor vehicle 14. The back door 20 of the motor vehicle 14 has a panel156 that is preferably recessed to contain a bracket 154 comprising twoparallel flanges that are preferably horizontal. Each parallel flange onthe bracket 154 has an aligned hole in each flange so the shaft ofreleasable connector 26 may pass through the holes. The rotatable joint24 on the proximal end of connecting link 22 has a hole through it andfits between the two flanges. The shaft of the releasable connector 26passes through the holes in the flanges of bracket 154 and through thehole in the rotatable end joint 24 of the connecting link 22 to fastenthe proximal end of the connecting link 22 to the motor vehicle 14. Thedistal end of the connecting link 22 is connected to one of the firstand second support frames 16, 18, preferably in substantially the samehorizontal plane as the proximal end of the connecting link. Thus,removing the shaft of the releasable connector 26 disconnects theconnecting link 22 from the vehicle. The recess in the panel 156 isbelieved to make it easier for a user to manually grip a handle or headof the releasable connector 26 to engage or disengage the connector andconnecting link 22.

The stop 152 is shown as an L-shaped bar with the end of the short legextending rearward from the rear of the vehicle and one side of theplate 156. The long leg of the L-shaped bar extends parallel to the reardoor and over the recess in the plate 156. The stop 152, plate 156,connector 24 and connecting link 22 are preferably made of metal. Thebrace 150 is shown as extending forward toward the vehicle when in thestowed position, and is connected to the second support frame 18. Thebrace 150 preferably has a flat plate of HDMW plastic fastened to ametal bracket with the bracket bolted, welded or otherwise fastened tothe second support frame 18, and with the UHMW plastic contacting thebrace 150. The brace 150 preferably has a recess 158, preferably aC-shaped recess, configured to fit over a portion of the outer surfaceof the stop 152 and the brace 150 is located so it hits the stop whenthe tire 12 and support frames 16, 18 are in the first, stowed position.Preferably, the brace 152 has a portion extending horizontally over therecess in the plate 156 and the brace 158 extends parallel to alongitudinal an axis of the vehicle to engage the brace 152 when thespare tire 12 is in the stowed position.

As best seen in FIGS. 2-3, the distal end of connecting link 22 isfastened to the bottom side of the distal portion 116 of the secondsupport frame 18, preferably by a vertical bolt through a rotatablejoint so that both ends of the connecting link 22 may rotate andpreferably with the connecting link 22 in a substantially horizontalplane. The connecting link 22 allows the rear door 20 (FIG. 1) of themotor vehicle 14 to open and close by rotating about the first hingeaxis 28, without disconnecting and moving the first and second supportframes 16, 18 which rotate about second hinge axis 32.

In the first, stowed position the recess 158 of the brace 150 abuts thestop 152 on the back door 20 of the motor vehicle 14 and the connectinglink 22 is tightened so the recess 158 abuts the stop 152 along thelongitudinal axis of the vehicle. The UHMW portion of the brace 150helps dampen vibration between the abutting parts and provides a softer,wear surface for the stop 152 on the vehicle. Because the recess 158 ofthe brace 150 encircles part of the top and bottom of the stop 150, thebrace helps limit vertical vibration of the first and second supportframes 14, 16 and spare tire 12. Because the connecting link 22 can betightened to pull the brace 150 against the stop 152, the brace helpslimit forward motion of the first and second support frames 16, 18 andspare tire 12 while recess 158 limits vertical motion. Because theconnecting link 22 extends between the rear door 20 and the secondsupport frame 18 (preferably substantially in the same plane), theconnecting link restrains forward and backward motion of the secondsupport frame 18 and the spare tire 12. Because the first and secondsupport frames 16, 18 are connected by the latch 34 and the horizontaljoint 62, the connecting link 22 also helps stabilize forward andbackward motion of the first support frame 16 as well as that of thesecond support frame 18.

The connecting link 22 is adjustable in length and can rotate at eachend, so the distance of the first and second support frames from theback surface of the motor vehicle can be adjusted. A distance of a fewinches is believed suitable, preferably about 1-5 inches. The furtherrearward the support frames 16, 18 and spare tire 12 get from thevehicle, the greater the force on the first, cantilevered, rotatingjoint 52. The distance set by the connecting link 22 is preferablysufficient to allow access by person's hand to insert and remove thereleasable fastener 24 that connects the link 22 to the motor vehicle atthe bracket 24. When disconnected from the vehicle 14, the link 22 moveswith the second support frame. When the link 22 is connected to thesecond support frame 18 with a lateral or horizontal fastener, the linkwill usually hang downward if the first, proximal end is disconnectedfrom the vehicle. Most of the figures show only the ends of theconnecting link 22, but the adjustable length swivel link is known,having a shaft with a threaded connection to at least one of therotatable ends 24 to vary the length.

In the first, stowed position, the rear brake lights for the motorvehicle 14 are connected to the mounting bracket 106, the position ofwhich is adjusted using the extendable support bracket 102 and thereleasable fastening mechanism 104 to locate the brake lights above thetop side of the spare tire 12. In the first, stowed position, the weightof the spare tire and the first and second support frames 16, 18 iscarried by the cantilevered rotating joint 52, which is connected to thevehicle mounting bracket 50 to the vehicle's frame and rear bumper 60.The connection to the rear bumper 60 is believed desirable because itconnects to a different vehicle structure than the rotating joint 52,and connects in a different plane than the vertical plate of the bracket50 that is bolted to the frame.

To move the spare tire 12 to the second, deployed position thereleasable fastener 24 is removed to disengage the proximal end of theconnecting link 22. It is possible to disengage the distal end of theconnecting link 22 at the second movable frame 18. Once the link 22 isdisengaged, the first and second support frames are manually rotatedabout the second vertical axis 32 and joint 52 to the second, deployedposition. The latch 34 keeps the first and second support framesconnected so they move as a unit and substantially restrains movement ofthe second support frame 18 relative to the first support frame when thelatch is engaged, especially when the rotatable joint 62 connects to thelower end of the second support frame and also restrains motion ofsecond frame 18 except for rotation about axis 36. The elongatedflexible member 38 also helps keep the second support frame 18immediately adjacent to the first support frame 16, although as themember 38 is primarily a tension member so it usually provides littlerestraint in a direction perpendicular to the member 38, especially whenthe first and second frames are separated from each other as in thethird, deployed position. Depending on the configuration of the motorvehicle 14 and the location of the joint 52 and axis 32, the amount ofpossible rotation will vary as with enough rotation, the base 70 orother parts of the frames 16, 18 will hit the adjacent rear corner ofthe vehicle. An illustrative deployed position is shown in FIG. 2.

Once the support frames 16, 18 are rotated far enough from the vehicleto allow the spare tire 12 to be lowered without hitting the rear bumper60, the handle 96 may be pulled to disengage the shaft (connected to thehandle 96) from the aligned holes through the latch 34 and maleprojection 94 to decouple the first and second support frames. Thetension on the elongated flexible member 38 may be adjusted slightly toloosen any binding force on the latch 34. Rotation of the engaging end88 rotates worm screw 84 which rotates gear 82 to rotate the reel 40 andunwind the elongated flexible member 38 to rotate the second supportframe about horizontal joint 62 to lower the second support frame andthe spare tire 12 connected to that second frame. The engaging end 88may be rotated manually with a hand operated tool or electrically, aswith a drill and socket that engages the end 88. When the tire is on theground or close thereto, the lug nuts on the bolts 120 that hold thewheel and tire to the wheel mount 118 are removed and the tire isremoved.

The process to raise the empty tire mount 118 or a tire 12 fastened tothe tire mount, is the reverse of the above sequence. Depending on thesize of the tire, the position of the tire mount may be adjusted tobring it closer or further away from the second support frame—using thethreaded fastener 138 (FIG. 7) to adjust the length of the telescopingtire support tubes 126, 128, with some possible pulling on the tiremount 118 to pull the mount outward, but using the fastener 138 to movethe mount inward. The fastener 138 may be tightened as needed to pullthe wheel and associated tire against one or both of the supportframe(s) 16, 18.

The above described apparatus also provides an improved method ofmounting a spare tire to the back of a motor vehicle. The method uses afirst, outer support frame 16 rotating about a vertical axis 32 that isoffset from a vertical axis about which a rear door of the vehiclerotates. The outer support frame 16 may rotate toward and away from theback of the vehicle about axis 32. The method uses a second, inner frame18 that is rotatably mounted to the first support frame 16 at joint 62,to rotate in a vertical plane toward and away from the first frame andtoward and away from the ground. The method uses a flexible member 38extending between the first and second frames 16, 18 and which may bevaried in length to vary the rotation of the second support frame 18 asit rotates about axis 36 when the frames are not restrained by the latch34, 94. The method uses a releasable latch 34, 94 to releasably connectthe first and second frames 16, 18 at a location spaced apart from thehorizontal axis of rotation 36. The method uses releasable connectinglink 22 and latch 34, 94 to tether the frames 16, 18 to the door 20 sothe door and frames may rotate together about two separate axes ofrotation, or to allow the frames 16, 18 and rear tire 12 to rotateindependently of the rear door. The methods of using these various partsto move the frames 16, 18 and spare tire 12 to and between the firstposition, second position and third position, are described above, andare not be repeated in detail.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosedherein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis forthe claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in theart to variously employ the present invention in virtually anyappropriately detailed structure.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation.Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devisevariations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention,including various ways of releasably fastening the connecting link 22 tothe vehicle and support frames 16, 18, various ways of releasablyconnecting the first and second support frames other than the describedlatch 34, and various ways of adjusting the length of the telescopingtire support tubes 126, 128 and the telescoping extension tube 100.Further, the various features of this invention can be used alone, or invarying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limitedto the specific combination described herein. Thus, the invention is notto be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A spare tire mounting mechanism for the rear of amotor vehicle having a rear door hinged at a first side of the vehicleto rotate about a first vertical axis, the spare tire mounting mechanismcomprising: a first support frame having proximal and distal ends with abase rotating about a second vertical axis at the proximal end, thesecond vertical axis being laterally offset from the first vertical axisduring use; a second support frame having proximal and distal ends withits proximal end rotatably connected to the first support frame torotate about a first horizontal axis, the distal end of the secondsupport frame having a tire mount for the spare tire, the second supportframe rotating between a first, stowed position higher than the proximalend of the base, and a second, deployed position with the spare tirebelow the proximal end of the base when measured in the vertical plane;a releasable connection between the first and second support frames,operable when the second support frame is in the stowed position; anelongated, flexible member connected to the first and second supportframes and having a first, short length when the second support frame isin the stowed position and having a second, longer length when thesecond support frame is in the deployed position, the flexible memberextending around a curved surface on the first support frame.
 2. Thespare tire mounting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the curved surfacecomprises a rotatable reel which rotates to change the length of theelongated member between the short and longer length.
 3. The spare tiremounting mechanism of claim 2, wherein the first and second verticalaxes are offset from each other by a distance of about 1-5 inches in thehorizontal plane.
 4. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 2,wherein the reel is rotated by a worm screw and mating worm wheel. 5.The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 4, wherein one of the wormwheel and worm screw is on a shaft having an engaging end havingmultiple flats.
 6. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 1, furthercomprising an adjustable length connecting link having multi-axisrotating joints at opposing ends of the link, with a first end connectedto either the first or second support frame and a second end having anopening configured to engage a shaft connected to the motor vehicleduring use.
 7. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 1, furthercomprising a brace extending from the second support frame and having arecess configured to receive a mating stop on the motor vehicle duringuse.
 8. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 1, further comprisingan upwardly extending, adjustable length tube having a proximal tube endconnected to the first support frame and a distal tube end having amounting surface having at least one hole to mount a rear brake light ofthe motor vehicle during use.
 9. The spare tire mounting mechanism ofclaim 1, wherein the base rotates about a vertical steel pin held by atleast one bushing and at least one thrust bearing.
 10. The spare tiremounting mechanism of claim 9, further comprising a vehicle mountingbracket having at least one vertical plate with a plurality of boltholes therethrough and further having a top mounting plate with at leastone vertical bolt hole therethrough, the vehicle mounting bracketreceiving and holding the steel pin and the at least one bushing and atleast one thrust bearing.
 11. A spare tire mounting mechanism for therear of a motor vehicle having a rear door hinged at a first side of thevehicle to rotate about a first vertical axis, the spare tire mountingmechanism comprising: a first outer support frame and a second, innersupport frame nested inside, the first support frame connected to afirst joint and rotating about a second vertical axis during use, thesecond support frame connected to a horizontal joint connected to a baseof the first support frame so the second support frame rotates about afirst horizontal axis between a stowed position and a deployed positionwith a releasable latch mechanism releasably connecting the first andsecond support frames in the stowed position; an adjustable lengthswivel link has a first end connected to one of the first and secondsupport frames and a second end configured to receive a shaft to connectthe link to the motor vehicle during use, the first and second ends ofthe swivel link comprising multi-axis rotation joints; a reel mounted tothe first support frame, the reel has an elongated member wound aroundthe reel with a distal end of the elongated member fastened to thesecond support frame; a tire mount is connected to the second supportframe; wherein when the releasable latch is latched the first and secondsupport frames may rotate together about the first vertical axis;wherein when the releasable latch is unlatched the reel may rotate tounwind the elongated member and the second support frame and tire mountmay rotate about the first horizontal axis away from the first supportframe and toward the ground; wherein when the releasable latch isunlatched the reel may wind up the elongated member and the secondsupport frame and tire mount may rotate about the first horizontal axistoward the first support frame and away from the ground.
 12. The sparetire mounting mechanism of claim 11, wherein the first and secondvertical axes are offset from each other by a distance of about 1-5inches in the horizontal plane.
 13. The spare tire mounting mechanism ofclaim 11, wherein the reel is rotated by a worm screw and mating wormwheel.
 14. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 13, wherein one ofthe worm wheel and worm screw is on a shaft having an engaging endhaving multiple flats.
 15. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim11, further comprising a brace extending from the second support frameand having a recess configured to receive a mating stop on the motorvehicle during use.
 16. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 11,further comprising an upwardly extending, adjustable length tube havinga proximal tube end connected to the first support frame and a distaltube end having a mounting surface having at least one hole to mount arear brake light of the motor vehicle during use.
 17. The spare tiremounting mechanism of claim 11, wherein the first joint comprises asteel pin held by at least one bushing and at least one thrust bearing.18. The spare tire mounting mechanism of claim 17, further comprising avehicle mounting bracket having at least one vertical plate with aplurality of bolt holes therethrough and further having a top mountingplate with at least one vertical bolt hole therethrough, the vehiclemounting bracket receiving and holding the steel pin and the at leastone bushing and at least one thrust bearing.